A recent study from Eric Mower and Associates (EMA) Group B2B revealed that contractors and trade professionals rely on smartphones and mobile technology as much as other B2B decision makers.

Researchers asked 500 general contractors, electricians, HVAC specialists and plumbers about their use of mobile on the job site. What they found was that 50 percent of contractors use a smartphone for their jobs, while 21 percent utilize an iPad or other tablet.

This is on par with a September eMarketer study that found 59 percent of buyers who invest in industrial or technological purchases use smartphones to gather information.

Smartphones beat out forums, LinkedIn, blogs, podcasts and Facebook as the most effective resource used to gather information by decision-makers.

According to the Eric Mower study, 53 percent stated they use mobile in the purchase and decision-making process, which involves researching brands, comparing prices and scanning product codes. Also, 56 percent take photos of work projects to refer to when shopping for materials.

"With so many professional contractors accessing the web from the jobsite, brands need to be sure their websites are mobile-, video- and app-ready," said John O'Hara, partner and leader of EMA's Contractor Insight specialty. 

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